#32 - Leaders Under God's Appointment: A Message to Power

Hey, what's up everyone? This is Morning Coffee & Bible, and I am your host, Brandon Fogal. Thank you for dropping in today. With the political season upon us and the election for the next president of the United States nearing, I felt compelled to dive into this topic. Normally, I don't talk about politics on this show. I strive to keep discussions about Jesus and God separate from politics, but today, we're making an exception.

In this episode, we explore whether Christians should invest their life and energy into who becomes the next president of the United States. As believers, we possess a unique perspective, grounded in the Bible, that God's providence guides all things, including the appointment of leaders. We'll delve into several powerful passages from Scripture that affirm this truth: God is the one who appoints rulers and places individuals in positions of authority.

We begin with Daniel 2:21, which tells us that God changes the times and seasons, removes kings, and sets up kings. This passage sets the stage for understanding that God is in control of who holds power. Next, we explore Romans 13:1, where Paul reminds us that all authority comes from God, even those that seem corrupt. This assures us that no matter the state of our leaders, they are there by God's design.

Proverbs 21:1 further emphasizes that God controls the hearts of those in authority, turning them whichever way He wills. This is illustrated through historical examples like Pharaoh in Egypt. Psalm 75:6-7 and 1 Samuel 2:7-8 reinforce that promotions and positions, whether high or low, are determined by God. Lastly, Jeremiah 27:5 reminds us that God has created everything and gives authority to whom He pleases.

Throughout the episode, we reflect on the significance of these scriptures and their implications for our current political climate. We discuss how believers can find peace in knowing that God's will is behind the placement of leaders, regardless of their actions or morality. The episode concludes with an encouragement for listeners to follow their hearts and vote according to their convictions, trusting that God's plan will ultimately unfold.

Join me as we navigate the intersection of faith and politics, finding comfort in the knowledge that God's hand guides the course of history. Until next time, stay blessed and keep shining.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Who will become the next president of the United States of America?
You! Come here, come here, come here, come here. I got some really secret political
knowledge I'm about to share with you.
I'm in front of the White House right now, and I got some news I gotta tell you.
Is God concerned with who becomes the next president?
We are in a hot political climate, a political season that is gonna determine

(00:21):
where we go as a great nation. Should we as Christians be pouring our life and
energy in who becomes the next president of the United States?
Closer, closer, closer, closer. Remember, remember the 5th of November.
Trump, Kamala, they are head to head. They are the last two standing that are

(00:43):
squaring off. Breaking news, breaking news.
It's already been determined who's going to win.
Music.
I'll see you then.
Hey, what's up everyone? This is Morning Coffee and Bible.
I am your host, Brandon Fogle. Thank you for dropping in today.

(01:04):
We are going to talk about, since we are in the political season and the election
is nearing for the next president of the United States, I wanted to bring this up.
Normally, I don't talk about politics on this show.
I don't want to cross the streams, if you're familiar with Ghostbusters,
about talking about Jesus and God, and then also talking about politics.

(01:26):
And I wasn't always like this. I wasn't always aware of politics in general.
I wasn't aware that people get so upset about it.
And I think a lot of Americans are like that. They do not think of politics
as something to get all up in arms about. It's just kind of in the background.
They're more focused on their day-to-day work, and they're focused on sports

(01:48):
or whatever they have going on in their life and let those people in Washington take care of them.
They got it all under control and they don't even think about it.
It's just in the background.
So like I said, normally I do not like to talk about politics on this show just
because it can definitely turn people off when you even kind of bring it up,
you know, but I'm not going to take a position on anything. You know,
I'm going to be like Andy Bernard.

(02:09):
I'm not taking a position. I'm just telling you and just talking about it because
politics is a part of life, you know?
It's just, it's something that we all have something to do with and something
that confronts us every now and then.
So I'm only going to talk about it in the reference of, I know,
and as Christians, we have kind of, we got some inside knowledge.
We got some, I don't know about secret, it's kind of manifest out there.

(02:31):
Anyone that's got a Bible has this information readily available.
But it is this wisdom and knowledge that we have readily at our.
Those who are in authority, those who are put in positions of power,
are put there by God Himself.
And He is the one who decides and determines who is going to be the next king,

(02:52):
who is going to be the next governor, who is going to be the next president.
He is the one who decides and determines.
As people on earth, we are making choices.
We think we're deciding this, we're deciding that, we're putting our hand in
it, and we're doing this and that.
But really, behind the scenes, God's providence is the one who is guiding all things.

(03:13):
And however someone ends up in a position of power,
we can always, as believers, you know, and I speak almost to believers,
and I almost speak to people that don't know about Christ, don't know about
God's Word, that I'm speaking to everyone, you know, because the same reality exists for everyone.
But it's just, believers, they kind of have the awareness that Jesus is on the

(03:35):
throne, but everyone else just, they don't have that realization yet.
So in today's episode, I am going to share with you several powerful passages
from Scripture that demonstrate the undeniable truth that God is the one who
appoints rulers and puts those in authority and puts those in power,

(03:55):
whether it's kings, whatever, you know?
You know, we don't really have kings as much, but some places do still.
In our lifestyle, the president almost kind of functions as a king in a sense, you know?
That's the closest thing we have to a king these days, you know, in America.
And actually, what I'm going to be reading to you today, I don't do this that
often, but I'm going to be reading to you from the King James Version.

(04:19):
Sometimes I read from the New King James and the NASB. These are just different
translations of the Bible, but the King James Version, that has that old eloquent English in it.
So I'm going to read from that. Sound a little bit smarter than I really am.
First passage, Daniel 2.21, and he changes the times and the seasons.
He removeth kings and setteth up kings.

(04:41):
He giveth wisdom unto the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding.
So there in that passage, it talks about he raises the eths and all that,
the setteths. We don't really speak like that as much anymore.
I need to start speaking more like that, but he removeth kings and he setteth
up Kings. He puts those in power.

(05:02):
You know, that's the first one we'll point out.
All right, next, Romans 13.1, Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers,
for there is no power but of God.
The powers that be are ordained of God.
So in this passage, Paul reminds us of the existence of those who are in authority,
that they are specifically put there of God's choice.

(05:26):
You know, and this was him writing during Rome thousands of years ago,
and these would have been very corrupt institutions.
So right here in this passage, Paul reminds us that the existence of authority
comes from God, and those who are in power have specifically been put there by God himself.
So we can be at peace knowing that no matter how corrupt those above us are, God has put them there.

(05:53):
We can rest assured in that.
All right, next verse, Proverbs 21.1.
So that's pretty interesting to think about, that no matter who's in authority,
God has control of their heart.
Think about back in Egypt in the Bible with Pharaoh. Pharaoh was the most powerful person on earth.

(06:20):
No matter how powerful a human being is on earth, God has their heart in his
hand, and he turns it whichever way he wants.
So no matter the decisions that even somebody in power that's doing that,
God is behind the scenes. He has the ability.
It says that the king's heart is like a stream of water, and he turns it whichever way he wants.

(06:42):
So God is the one who's in control of whoever's in authority,
whether it's someone very high up, you know, the president of the United States,
or whether it's, you know, your boss at work.
Everyone that's authority and put it over you has been put there specifically by God.
That's not to say that they are a good human being or that they are not corrupt

(07:02):
or they're doing the right thing. That doesn't matter.
You know, people are people, but God is the one who puts people wherever they
are, and he is the one who is over all of them.
All right, next, Psalm 75, 6 through 7.
For promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south.
But God is the judge. He putteth down one and setteth up another.

(07:25):
So you want that promotion at work? You're going to get that promotion at work
if God has decided you're going to get it.
Ultimately, God is the one who puts someone there or doesn't put someone there.
And if someone gets a promotion and you don't get it, that's the thing to be
at peace, but also be joyful for someone else.
So this passage shows that it is not by chance or human effort that someone

(07:49):
gets that promotion and gets put in that position, you know,
but is solely determined by God himself.
All right, next, 1 Samuel 2, 7 through 8. The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich,
he bringeth low and lifteth up.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill,

(08:09):
to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.
No matter what position somebody has in life, whether they are the executive
of a huge company or whether they're a beggar on the street.
God is the one who puts people everywhere that they're at. People carry out

(08:32):
and make choices, and their choices determine the course of their life.
But ultimately, God is the one who's behind it all.
God is the one who gives someone the ability to do those great things,
or someone that doesn't have the ability not to be able to do those great things.
So God doesn't just deal with the powerful, but with the humble and lowly.
He sees the things that are unseen to our human eyes.

(08:56):
He sees what's behind people's hearts.
All right, this is the last verse we're going to look at. Jeremiah 27, 5.
I have made the earth, the man and the beast there upon the ground by my great
power and by my outstretched arm and have given it unto whom it seemed, meet unto me.
So, I don't usually go through the King James Version, you know,

(09:17):
because that's why we have the newer versions.
People, like, kind of dismiss and say, well, there's so many different translations
of the Bible, how do we know which one's right?
Well, a lot of things, it's like, the human language, the human language,
the human language evolves, you know, so there is a kind of,
we need to have things make more sense in our colloquial language,
and that's why we have newer translations.

(09:39):
The substance of the Bible, it does not change. change
I just had to say that because I don't normally read from
the King James version but I I wanted to today actually I
got deeper issues but okay I wanted to read through the
King James version because I haven't set up my other versions yet on eSword
full disclosure I have not set up my other versions on eSword and I need to

(10:00):
figure that out I need to figure out how to get those other versions my other
translations you know that's the and the truth finally comes out I I tried to
keep it together through this episode. I tried my hardest.
I did my best. I did my best. I did my best.
All right. So I did all this to say I wanted to bring up that as we near the
election, as we get closer to it, normally I don't talk about this stuff,

(10:21):
politics on this show, Morning Coffee and Bible. I try to keep them separate.
But it was on my mind, and I thought I wanted to bring it up for the mere fact
not to endorse someone, not to promote someone, not to say choose Kamala or
choose Trump or choose whoever the party's put forward. You know, that's irrelevant.

(10:41):
And ultimately, God is the one who is going to put in power who he has already chosen to be there.
How it all shakes out, it's yet to be seen by us.
It's already determined in the heart and mind of God. But it will unfold right
before our eyes, and we can be at peace with whoever ends up being there.

(11:03):
Whoever ends up being the next president of the United States, we can be at peace in it.
Do our best, you know, and try to do what's good.
Do what God puts on our heart to do for his kingdom.
And whether that is in politics or not, everyone out there, you choose who God
puts on your heart and who you believe you should vote for.
You know, go with that, you know. So I'll leave you all with that.

(11:27):
Go with God. Have a wonderful day. Have a wonderful week. And I will see you
on the next one. So we hold on and enjoy the ride.
Music.
After all the ups and downs, this is our time.
Enjoy the ride. Hey,

(11:50):
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Until next time, stay blessed and keep shining.